nikolas94's Favorites

Saw this beauty in a hollow about 15-20m up a dead tree. It made me do a double take! The bear licked its lips and was sniffing the crisp air. I though it should be hibernating, but maybe it woke up? Came back a couple hours later and didn’t see it in the hole anymore. What luck!

The first time I had ever seen this, i videoed the entire event as well from entry to exit. It was as if this species swims all the time. I sent it to a frogmouth expert and she had never seen that before. The bird chose to swim and flew away very easily after its swim. There appeared to be no explanation for the bird swimming as it was not particularly hot or anything unusual.

After a forest fire sweeps through a pine forest, many wood-boring insects take the opportunity to lay their eggs on the charred, decaying wood. Their larvae, in turn, are host to several species of parasitic wasp, the largest of which are in the genus Megarhyssa. Including her 70mm long ovipositor, this large female wasp is more than 100mm (4 inches) in length.

Hiking down Bear Canyon we met up with this huge black bear several times. He was on and off the same trail as us for about an hour. Every time we encountered him we would step back with our dogs and let him pass then count to 1,000. He surprised us again by moving off the trail and taking higher ground. He watched us closely as we maneuvered the dogs and ourselves past him. This was the largest bear I’ve ever seen, including those in Alaska, and one of those WOW moments.
Located just a few miles into the mountains above Pasadena, CA.

A large canvas of my bear photo hung in the BC Legislature. Our local MLA claimed it helped pursued the Premier to totally ban Grizzly Bear trophy hunting in BC. Keep shooting photos, they can make a difference !

Two Ravens - Second photo showing bill clasping. An article from Science news 'Look at that!' Ravens gesture with their beaks to point out objects to each other also makes some interesting points:

Pointing and holding up objects in order to attract attention has so far only been observed in humans and our closest living relatives, the great apes. Researchers now provide the first evidence that ravens (Corvus corax) also use so called deictic gestures in order to test the interest of a potential partner or to strengthen an already existing bond.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129112319.htm

This observation documents a curious moose that is damaging the recorders at my study site.

1- Destroyed microphone. The moose left its loose guard hairs on this and other microphones throughout the site.
2- Another microphone with windscreen eaten and loose guard hairs left on it.
3- Ample moose scat throughout site.
4- Recording of a moose walking up to and mouthing the microphone of an autonomous recorder, the same microphone pictured in (1). Walking sounds start to be more audible at about 25s in. Breathing and chomping audible at about 35s in.

Several moose were seen at my site, on separate days, since I posted this observation. No other large mammals (e.g. elk, deer, bear) have been observed.